Building a team

“Team building is both an art and a science,” wrote Glenn Llopis. In this step, it’s time to consider what it will take to build and sustain a successful design team.

In the Forming stage, your team probably won’t be high functioning yet. Individual roles and processes may not be clearly defined. It’s also possible that one or a few people will be dominant and have most of the answers about your group’s purpose and objectives.

It’s important to get to know one another and learn how each team member operates. Most individuals will be self-focused at first, working parallel with team members rather than together. Many members will also seek acceptance from the group and try to avoid controversy.

Questions that each team member should ask him/herself: Will starting a teacher-powered school work for me? Is this a team I want to work with? Where’s my niche?

The Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy, a teacher-powered school in Denver, CO, uses a strengths-based approach to leadership and provides a framework for you to use in the design of your teacher-powered school.